The Shell
by ashangel101010
Summary: Matt cannot comprehend why the General wants to be with him.
1. Day 1, Part 1

The Shell

* * *

_"General?" _Mitaka's soft voice calls over their open comlink channel.

"Yes, Lieutenant?" General Armitage Hux could have switched on the holo projection function, but he's up to his elbows in reports that need to be reviewed, responded, and approved.

"_Stormtrooper JB-007 has an urgent matter to bring to your attention, sir." _

"Put him on, and then take your lunch break."

"_Thank you, sir." _

In half a second of static, the Stormtrooper is patched through.

"_General, I have found Lord Ren wandering in Sector 1138." _Hux furrows his brows but continues his headway into his folio-work.

"Lord Ren isn't scheduled to be back for another two days." _But it would be so like him to break that like he does with everything and everyone else around here. No wonder General Eclipse sent me that crate of Corellian whiskey when she found out that Lord Ren would be my co-commander for the foreseeable future!_

"_I'm certain that this is Lord Ren; no one else has his face. But it appears his hair is blond now, sir." _

"I didn't think he fancied blondes." Hux dryly jokes, and he knows that the older Stormtrooper is smiling wryly at that.

"_At least not Petty Officer Thanisson. With all due respect, Lord Ren is in a state of complete undress, sir." _

"…Is he responsive?"

"_He doesn't recognize his own name and hasn't really said anything." _

"Take him to medbay and you can resume your patrol, JB-007."

"_Understood, sir." _

Hux halts his writings and sighs deeply. He wishes he could continue his work for another hour, let Ren wait for him, paying him back for all those times that he had to wait for the so-called Master of the Knights of Ren while the furious Force-user wreaked havoc on his ship. But he knows Ren. He knows him all too well. So he gets up from his fairly comfortable hoverchair and makes his way to the medbay. Wishing as he wished nearly a week after meeting Ren that the Supreme Leader wasn't such a sadistic layabout.

* * *

The medbay is miraculously empty save for the meddroids and the patient in question. The patient is thankfully covered in a standard-issued medbay gown, but Hux notices the lack of underwear lines in the gowns and wonders if Ren has a silly hatred for those too.

"MD-5, what is the status on Lord Ren?" Lord Ren in question is busy looking into the void; Hux nearly rolls his eyes.

"General Hux, there is nothing physically wrong with the patient. He is merely overwhelmed from being outside the quarters."

"Overwhelmed? Why would you be?" Hux looks into Ren's brown eyes and tightens his frown. In the privacy of his quarters, Hux would admit that Ren's eyes were his second-best feature. They're brown, but they pop like firecrackers bursting with his emotions, mostly anger. Now, Ren's eyes are strangely dull and remind him of a filthy mirror that his uncle once owned. He tried polishing it, spent a better part of a morning doing so, but he could never get his reflection to shine through. His uncle informed him that it would require a special, expensive polish, but it wouldn't come close to covering the cost. So he burned it with the refuse.

"General, the patient is not Lord Ren, but his clone." The droid intones emotionlessly.

"Why does he have a clone of himself?" He quickly and quietly demands. Ren nags him nearly every time that they review the troopers together that clones would be better soldiers than they are. And if Ren didn't always insist like a spoiled know-it-all, Hux would've happily debated him on the issue like an adult.

"I cannot divulge such sensitive information to you." _You lack the clearance because Supreme Leader likes riling you up and making Ren feel superior. _Hux is well aware of this old song and dance; he's partially glad for it because when he ends it, there'll be little guilt to sour his victory.

"What will happen to the…clone?"

"He will be released into the custody of Lord Ren."

"Lord Ren isn't here and won't be for another two days."

"Then, he will remain here until Lord Ren returns."

"But as his co-commander, the clone can be released into my care." The droid spends half a second to run the request against his protocols.

"Very well. The clone is yours until Lord Ren returns."

Hux allows himself to smile and holds out his hand to the clone.

"Will you come along with me?"

The clone looks up at him with his dull eyes for a moment and then back at his hand. After a heartbeat, he takes it.

* * *

**Author's Comments- **There are no links this time.

I remember the last time I wrote under the influence of _Utena_, and that did not end well for Hux. But with Matt the Clone in the picture that might change. Maybe.

Next chapter will be from Matt's POV.


	2. Day 1, Part 2

The Shell Chapter One

* * *

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- You Want It Darker by Leonard Cohen

* * *

_Kylo's leathered thumb rubs crosses into his cheeks. Such a gesture always leaves him feeling…_

_**Hot. **_

"_It's only for a few days." _

"_I understand." _

_His lips curl upwards, and his eyes shine bright with the Force. _

"_Of course you do, my gift."_

* * *

"My quarters are rather plain, but they should be comfortable." The General announces with a chirpiness reserved for the happy spice addict. The General's quarters start off with the living room just as Kylo's, but there's no ash altar to Darth Vader as the centerpiece. The centerpiece is a blue loveseat with hundreds of golden buttons nailed into it. There's a black coffee table on it with a remote that most likely reveals the viewscreen behind the wall in front of the couch. He can see the outline for several near-hidden doors to other parts of the quarters.

"_Hux has a handsome face with beautifully red hair, but underneath the face and attitude, there's nothing there. Just like his quarters I bet." Kylo told him right after his tour of the Finalizer. The General refused to show his quarters to Kylo's, and Kylo wisely decided not use the Supreme Leader to gain access to it. Why should he waste his time on something so trivial? _

"I'll take you to the guest room; I bet you'd want to shower after your adventure." The General insists on leading him by the hand like he was an invalid. He shudders in disgust at feeling the cheap leather of the General's glove rub against his naked palm. Kylo's gloves are shaak leather, while the General's is clearly First-Order issued just like the medical gown. He expects the guest room to be equally inferior.

The guest room contains a queen-sized bed with sky-blue sheets and matching pillowcases. There's a small wooden desk in the corner right across from the end of the bed with a viewscreen and a rolling chair. Only a meter from the right side of the desk is the metallic outlines of two doors.

"The one on the left is the closet, but there's nothing but hangers. The one on the right is the 'fresher. There's shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, and towels. The cleaning droids always put in fresh towels and sheets every week!"

_Kylo laughs, his laugh sends a bolt of warmth through his body, at a recording of the General's first speech on Starkiller Base. "The General's true accent shines in the quiet moments, which is perfectly timed since those moments are few and far between, except those with culture. Only Master, I, and you have that here." _

"I'll go order you some temporary clothes and make us something to eat!" He wishes he could sneer like Kylo surely would, but he's not supposed to add wrinkles to his luscious mouth. Kylo told him so.

The General slips out with one last smile. Matt goes into the 'fresher, removes and folds his clothes just like Kylo taught him, and tosses them into the waste basket. The shower can only fit one person, but it manages to have a small shelf of generic bath items. He closes the door and sets the water to hot.

* * *

_Kylo joins him in the tiny shower, presses him up against the shelf. Matt feels the bottle of generic shampoo dig into his back. Teeth graze against his neck, threatening to bite where the tongue has lathed him. There is no resistance for why would he resist the person he loves the most? _

_Hands, better than his, reach down and grasp him. Hot, wet, dexterous fingers tug, twist, and feel his manhood. Kylo knows that he's been waiting for so long for this. He's being kind and finishing him off first. _

_**I need you.**_

* * *

The evidence of his fantasy goes down the drain with the bubbly remains of the body wash. He gets out of the shower and grabs a towel; he's half-surprised at the softness. He didn't think the General cared about such things.

He wraps a towel around his middle, which barely covers his thighs, and steps out while drying his hair. The General is there with a black body glove, underwear, and boots that only Stormtroopers would wear. The General himself is wearing loose pants and a long-sleeved shirt that highlights his sinewy physique. Considering this new piece of information, he figures that the General had no choice but to go with the Stormtrooper clothing.

"U-Uh," The General stammers as he looks him up and down; his pale face turning a burning a red. "I-I got you clothes."

The General deposits the items on the bed and turns to leave. He freezes midway with one sandaled foot a few centimeters from the ground.

"I'll have supper ready in ten minutes. If you don't feel like eating, I understand." The General says gently like Kylo's mother used to before he became Kylo.

The General finally leaves, and Matt gets dressed. He then returns to the 'fresher and wipes the fog from the mirror. He looks like he belongs with the younger generation of Stormtroopers that train under Cardinal.

"_I would never let you be a Stormtrooper. I would rather have you be anything else, even a radar technician!" Kylo laughs at his own suggestion._

"_Then, what can I do for you?" _

"_Be my gift."_

The supper that the General has laid out is very simple. A pan-seared chicken patty with gray gravy and cooked mushrooms. There's a bowl of overdressed salad and a jug of blue milk. The General smiles up at him and waves him over to sit down like they're comrades.

He sits across from the General because it's the only other free chair; the General dishes out a plate with a generous portion of the patty and gives him a separate plate for the salad. He looks down at his utensils: a sharp knife and a dull fork. He picks up the knife and looks at the General.

He's humming a song as he pours the blue milk in their respective plasticine cups. He's not even looking at him. He wouldn't even see the knife coming.

_It's not my right to kill him. Kylo should have the honor. _

He goes to cut his patty and resolves to eat this miserable bounty.

"What's your name?" The General asks as he hands him the cup.

"Matt."

* * *

**Author's Comments- **No links this time.

It's so fun getting into the head of other characters.

Next chapter: It's the second day that Hux brought Kylo's clone into his quarters, but he knows nothing about the clone. He tries to change that.


	3. Day 2

The Shell Chapter Two

* * *

Suggested Theme:

Main Theme- Rotation (LOTUS-2) by Susumu Hirasawa

* * *

_"Matt." _

Armitage Hux learned a long time ago to enjoy the small victories in life. And learning Matt's name is one of his most recent. After his thrown together supper, Matt returned to the guest room. He doesn't quite know what Matt's doing in there, but he can imagine he's on the bed, staring up at the ceiling like Hux is partially doing. Or, perhaps, he's sleeping after his eventful day. Or, Matt could be watching some propaganda holos or one of the few Old Republic movies that the censorship board deemed acceptable.

_What if he doesn't even know how to use a viewscreen? Maybe Ren was afraid that his clone would access the HoloNet and beg for help? But does he need help? It appears that Ren has kept him fed and cleaned, but not clothed. Does Ren not mind having ass-prints on his chairs? No, that can't be it since Matt was clothed at the table. Did Matt just choose to wander nude on the Finalizer? Was he having a mental breakdown with Ren not there? What kind of relationship do they have? _

Hux frowns as he recalls the treatment of the clone troopers after the Clone Wars. Most of them continued to serve until their rapid aging caught up to them and chose to retire. A few stayed on until their deaths like Commander Cody. Others had to be forcibly retired. But all of the clones were guaranteed a pension, albeit a small one.

_During the wars, they were same-faced fodder to the general public, while the enemy treated them as just targets to be executed. Even the non-clone doctors didn't view them as people, just interchangeable parts. Only the Jedi, barring some exceptions, treated them like the people that they were. Until they were killed by them during Order 66. _

Hux looks at his viewscreen, wondering if he should spend the night researching on clones and their sad history, but he knows it won't do Matt any good.

_What can I do for him? Kylo's not coming back for another two days, so Matt's my responsibility until then. I could give him a tour of the ship. JB-007 did find him wandering; I doubt Kylo gave him a tour of the ship. Matt could use some socialization. But I can't afford to take a day off on such short notice, thought I could give everyone shore leave. But we're still about a day away from Bastion. Who can I have do the tour? Mitaka! He's patient, kind, and he's given tours before. Although, most of those were for Zeltrons, and they never made it pass the hangar…_

Hux pulls out his comm and nearly hails his lieutenant, but stops himself when he remembers that Mitaka doesn't handle surprises well. He would spend the night, agonizing about the next day and all the things that could go wrong. Hux decides it would be best to just wait until the morning.

_Besides, it'll give me plenty of time to draft up a perfect schedule for them!_

* * *

Lieutenant Dopheld Mitaka received his schedule change right in the middle of shaving his face; his upper lip now sports a fuchsia-colored spray-bandage. He's also been hit with the additional surprise that he'll be giving a full tour of the _Finalizer _today for a special guest:

"_Mitaka, _

_I have attached a revised schedule for you. Today, you will be giving a tour for Matt. He is a clone of Kylo Ren, but he lacks his personality and powers. Knowing Lord Ren, I believe he's kept Matt's life free of choices. The ultimate goal of this tour will be to introduce the concept of choices to Matt. Lord Ren will return soon, and I don't know what he'll do when he finds out about this. Rest assured, I will handle him when the time comes."_

Mitaka sighs deeply because he vividly recalls the last time that Hux handled Ren. Hux was being smashed into the wall like a hammer, and it took Captain Cardinal and a contingent of Stormtroopers to rescue the general. Thankfully, Hux avoided a broken back and neck.

_Ren will kill him this time. If he'll Force-choke someone for something as minor as spilling caf on him, then he'll kill Hux for taking his property. But Hux may find a way. _

After another bout of sighing at such finite hope, he gets dressed and takes the lift to Hux's quarters. He presses the ringer button to let Hux knows that he's here, and the door immediately opens.

"In the kitchen, Mitaka!" Hux hollers, and Mitaka is torn between smirking and sighing.

_Generals shouldn't be so casual with their inferiors, but Hux doesn't care about decorum during his off-time. Even his quarters reflect that, it's a good thing he never takes private meetings here. _Mitaka keeps his thoughts to himself, even when he sees his superior office spooning granola-laden yogurt into his mouth like a toddler. He knows that Hux has far better table manners than that, but he has a feeling Hux is putting on this childish display to get a laugh from the tawny-haired clone. The young man is nearly identical to Kylo Ren, but the lack of emotion on his asymmetrical face reminds Mitaka of a droid.

"Matt, this is Lieutenant Mitaka, he'll be giving you a tour of the ship." Hux springs on the clone.

"Good morning, sir." Mitaka holds out his hand, but Matt just stares blankly at it.

_Odds are Ren didn't bother to socialize his clone. But why would he? Matt's most likely a repository of fresh blood and organs to him. Poor thing, he probably doesn't know how awful Ren is because that's all he's ever known. _

"Matt, do you know what a _handshake _is for?"

"_Handshake _is a noun; it means the act of shaking hands." The clone recites as though he's spent his short life reading dictionaries.

"Yes, and a _handshake _is also used as a greeting. Do you want to shake Mitaka's hand?" The clone continues to stare blankly for another thirty seconds.

"No." The clone makes his first choice, which turns the rejection into a small victory in Mitaka's mind. Mitaka lowers his hand and maintains his parade rest.

"You two better leave before all the muffins are gone!" Hux teases, and Matt's lips twitch for a second like he's about to express something. The clone chooses to stop trying and get out of his seat. Mitaka departs with a professional nod, while Matt tags along without a change of expression.

Mitaka would rather go to Mess Hall III than Mess Hall I, but the latter is only ten minutes away. Mess Hall I, like II through IX, is a buffet; however, it's the only one with human chefs and only commissioned officers and high-level technicians are allowed entry. Unfortunately, there's about 19,000 officers on the ship, so it's typically packed. In Mitaka's humble opinion, he never could tell the difference between the droid-prepared meals versus the human ones.

Mitaka and Matt wait in the line for more than ten minutes before they finally get their gray plasticine trays and complimentary utensils and plates. The line then stalls for nearly a minute, and Mitaka decides that it would be prudent to explain how the buffet works.

"Matt, if there's a food that interests you, use the tongs to get it. And since you're the general's special guest, you can have as much food as you want." Mitaka adds a small smile and feels like he's patronizing the poor clone, but the clone makes no comment and nods. The first food they come across is a large tub of scrambled powdered eggs; Mitaka ladles some on his plate, while Matt doesn't. Next, they are greeted with rubbery pancakes and space waffles; Mitaka takes a space waffle, but Matt grabs neither. Next, rows of porridge, runny to the point of being nearly indistinguishable from gruel, meet them, and both refuse. Next, puffer pig sausages and bacon strips offer protein; Mitaka takes his allotted two sausage links, while Matt takes three strips of bacon. Finally, pastries, made with wonderful sugar and real flour, present themselves in their sweet glory. Mitaka immediately grabs a blueberry scone, nearly beaming when he feels its heat. He looks back at Matt; Matt has snatched the last chocolate chip muffin from the head of the Radar Technicians. She scowls and opens her mouth like she was going to quietly scream a few choice words to him, but her eyes widen in fear. She thinks that Matt is Kylo and quickly looks down at her own tray.

Matt pays her no mind.

They make their way to the beverage station with its plasticine mugs and cups; both grab mugs designed for hot tea or caf and half a dozen pink packets of synthetic sugar. Mitaka feels Matt's eyes on him as he presses the buttons necessary for medium caf.

"Matt, what kind of caf would you like?"

"Dark roast." He replies quickly and watches intensely, almost like Ren when he's waiting for his TIE to be fueled so he can go on some secret mission, as the nearly black liquid pours from the miniscule hose and into his mug. Once it's filled to the brim, Mitaka quickly cuts off the caf before it could overflow. Last thing he wants this morning is to be yelled at by an APA-5 droid.

Mitaka looks around for an empty table, but those are rarer than blossom wine in the First Order, so he's not surprised he couldn't find one. He then looks for a table with two empty spots and finds several; he picks the closest one, which is filled with officers that Mitaka doesn't recognize, but he hopes they won't bother them.

"May we sit here?" Mitaka asks one of them, a brunette with a thick mustache, who just waves a hand to convey their approval so not to break up his conversation with seatmate. They take their seats, which is a bit of tight squeeze given Matt's larger frame, but they have enough space between each other to eat without hassle. Matt takes a bird bite out of the muffin, keeping his face utterly blank.

"How is it?"

"Mostly bland." The clone replies and then starts tearing the top of a packet off and pours the sugar into his caf. He swirls it around with his gruel spoon, tastes the caf, and tears into another packet. This repeats thrice more before the clone is satisfied with the taste. Matt says nothing else for the remainder of breakfast, and Mitaka doesn't press him to, enjoying his equally bland breakfast.

* * *

"Do you know what blasters are?" Mitaka asks Matt twenty minutes after leaving the mess hall, wanting to prepare the clone for the next part of the tour as best as possible.

"Yes. I can even list they different types–"

"That won't be necessary. Would you like to use a blaster?" Mitaka sees a glimmer in Matt's eyes that he's like to believe is excitement.

"Yes."

"Then, welcome to Blaster Range 28X!" Mitaka tries to imitate Hux's over-the-top confidence, but Matt ignores him and looks around at the blaster range. The décor of the range is Imperial standard with blacks, grays, and intimidating metal walls. The range is one of the few places that officers, Stormtroopers, and even some technicians co-mingle. Mitaka sees a couple of Stormtrooper cadets from _Absolution _being tutored by their elders on the _Finalizer_. Nearby, a pair of officers are trying to outdo each other in accuracy. Mitaka smiles as he heads over to the counter to requisition their weapons from the officer on duty.

_Why did Hux list this as part of the tour? The blaster range is usually skipped over because who hasn't seen one before? Maybe, he wants to train Matt to kill Ren? No, Hux isn't malicious like Darth Tantrum. Maybe, to give the clone some options in self-defense? But we have only two days at best with him, which isn't enough time to teach him all the ins and outs of blasters. Perhaps, this was to see if the clone has an interest in weaponry? _

Mitaka does notice a glimmer in Matt's eyes as the weapons are brought out by the droid. He has selected a DC-15A rifle for himself and an EC-17 hold-out blaster for Matt. He feels the blaster is an ideal starter for Matt since it's far more compact than the rifle and has a decent range for a beginner. After collecting their weapons and power packs, Mitaka leads them to the stall that Hux had specially reserved for them. He picks up the control pad about as big as a ration bar.

"We'll be using the flimsi targets today." Mitaka announces and pulls Matt's attention away from the target droid being shot by the officer couple. He sets the target at twelve meters, and then turns to Matt who squints at the target.

"Matt, is the target blurry to you?"

"Yes."

Mitaka brings the target closer by two meters.

"Still?"

"Yes."

The target pulls forward another two meters.

"Now?"

"It's a little clearer."

The target is now set at six meters.

"I can see it now." Matt finally stops squinting.

"Matt, have you ever had an eye exam?"

"No."

_Why am I surprised? It's not like Ren cares about anyone else. Hells, even when his other knights are aboard, he orders them about like droids. I've never seen him even bother with a "hello" to them. So why would he treat his Force-null clone any differently? _Mitaka swallows down his anger and focuses on being helpful.

"Matt, would you like to go to the medbay and get an eye exam?"

"…"

"We'll come back here after the exam."

"Yes."

* * *

IT-S00.2 are programmed to treat injuries, but they are also quite capable administering minor medical exams such as eye exams. It only takes about ten minutes before the IT-S00.2 makes its diagnosis in its usual droidspeak.

"You're nearsighted, Matt."

"I can understand binary."

_Probably picked up from the cleaning droids assigned to Ren's floor. Maybe, the droids taught him not to be an aggressive arse like Ren. That makes way too much sense! _Mitaka keeps his biting commentary to himself and smiles as the droid brings back a selection of frames.

"Normally, you would have no choice in the frame, but you are the general's special guest." _I wonder if he's getting tired of hearing that. But at least he's focused on the frames. Granted, there's only three frames to choose from. _

The one on the left are known as pilot glasses for looking like the same ancient eyewear that pilots used to wear millennia ago and was only fashionable back then. The one in the middle has very circular frames that Mitaka feels like Matt would only be able to pull off if he had a facial scar. The one on the right is black horned rim that would look appropriate on an archivist. Matt reaches his hand out towards the pilot glasses, but fortunately he ultimately points at the black horned rim frame. The droid floats away to retrieve the glasses for the frame, and Mitaka breathes a mental sign of relief.

* * *

Nearly five hours later, they resume their tour. Mitaka knows that they are horribly off-schedule, but he couldn't stop himself drilling the basics into Matt since the clone was quite eager to learn about blasters. And of course, they had to get a quick bite from the mess hall before resuming the tour.

_Depending on how the library goes, there may be enough time for me not to rush through the rest of the tour. But that's only if Matt absolutely hates the library. But who could hate this place? _

The library takes up seven floors and all of the shelves are occupied by holobooks, datapads, data-tapes, and other knowledge-laden materials along with a few computers to help search for books. There's even a floor reserved for paper books and scrolls. The décor of the library contrasts the militaristic gloom that defines most of the ship. Light blue wallpaper cover up the steel walls with its rose patterns, while rose quartz carpets the floors. The shelves were hewed from wroshyr trees of Alaris Prime, a moon in the Kashyyyk system, and lacquered so that the lights from the holobooks shine on the woods' whorls.

"Ah, Lieutenant Mitaka, I was wondering when you would show up." He turns around and sees the chief librarian and his personal droid P-RC3, or Persee. The droid looks like most protocol droids, but the droid is metallic blue with a larger head for its increased memory capacity. It also possesses a High Coruscanti accent when it spoke, but Persee prefers not to. The droid moves past them, most likely to make tea.

"Got carried away at the blaster range, sir." Mitaka lightly jokes before turning back to Matt. "Matt, this is the chief librarian of the fleet, Atour Riten."

"….."

"I'm pleased to meet you, young sir. I'm known as Atour to everyone." Atour smiles good naturedly in the face of Matt's silence.

_I don't think Atour has ever met Kylo Ren since I haven't received a damage report on this place. Although, if Ren ever did decide to do that, then we might be out a co-commander. _

"Hello." Matt finally says with his eyes focused on the golden band around Atour's head.

"The band is part of the uniform of the Janissariad." Mitaka says.

"But this is the First Order."

"And I would comply with the dress code like I did with the Empire when I was part of the military. But I chose to be a private citizen in the First Order." Atour explains succinctly.

"The technicians have to wear uniforms and they aren't part of the military." Matt points out.

"No, they aren't. However, there are thousands upon thousands of technicians in the First Order and there needed to be something that distinguished them from the military without disturbing the visual cohesion, hence the colorful jumpsuits. But I'm not a technician, I trained to be an Imperial archivist. I'm also the only _human _librarian in the fleet."

"You are special."

"Oh, I might be." Atour guffaws, and Mitaka remembers how he nearly jumped out of his uniform when he first heard the deep laugh coming from a man barely thicker than Hux.

_His shapeless robes imply some hidden girth, but it's really because he can't stand being confined by his clothes, while his beard and long hair are just to show off that he can still grow hair at his age. I'm pretty certain that's why he and General Borrum don't get along. _

"You're special too, Matt." Atour says softly like he's humming. Matt doesn't speak, but his pale cheeks flush into a rosy pink.

_He's not used to receiving compliments. Maybe, he's used to Ren demoralizing that he's practically given up on talking in fear of disappointing that tyrant! _Mitaka feels righteous anger bubbling up at someone else suffering under Ren's hands, but he swallows it back down and reminds himself that killing a superior is not the solution.

"And because you're special, I'm going to personally help you find books that peak your interest! Now, what interests you, Matt?"

"…I like blasters." Matt nods as to reassure himself that it's true. He then pauses for a few moments to rack through his mind for more of _his _likes. Atour waits patiently like a doting grandfather.

"I like paintings….And I like fairytales. Is that enough?" The last two surprise Mitaka, but Atour takes it all in with a thoughtful smile.

"That's more than enough for this visit!" Atour gestures for Matt to follow him and Matt follows. Mitaka smiles as he's left behind and decides to do a little reading himself.

* * *

The Commandant taught his son how to subsist on even the blandest of foodstuffs, which serves him well whenever he's stranded in the wilderness or eating food from the mess hall. However, his uncle also taught him that if you have access to a well-stocked spice cabinet, then use it.

Hux's homegrown spices bubble and toil in the soft tofu soup. He's tempted to swirl his wooden spoon above it like a wand, but he knows that any minute now Matt will be here.

_I don't want him to think I'm some cartoon witch! It probably doesn't help that I'm wearing a red robe with a hood; I almost look like a Nightsister if not for my sweat pants and slippers. Tenel did say that pants shouldn't be worn with this, but I don't want to scar Matt with my legs–_

He hears the door open and hurries to greet him. He sees Persee tugging a repulsor cart of holobooks, datapads, and an illuminated book to Matt's room. Then, Matt follows after the droid like a puppy.

"Matt, you got glasses!" _He looks really cute in them. And does that mean he's nearsighted or farsighted? _

"I'm nearsighted, so I need them to see at a distance." Matt stops to explain for a second and then goes into his room.

"Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes!" Hux shouts through the door and returns to the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, Hux lays the last spoon on the folded napkins when Matt shows up. He takes his seat at one end of the round table and Hux does the same.

"Tonight, I've made soft tofu soup. It's usually spicy, but I toned it down because I didn't know if you liked spicy food." Hux explains, and Matt picks up his spoon and scoops up some of the rice and tofu with the red broth. He takes a sip before draining the rest of the spoon.

"I like spicy food too." Matt declares and then resumes consuming the soup like a dehydrated man finding water. Hux smiles and eats his food, feeling warm from making Matt's night with such a simple meal.

* * *

**Author's Comments: **Here are the links-

Adam Driver once again inspires a change in a character he's played, specifically his eyewear in _Dead Don't Die_. I haven't seen the movie, but I love the hell out of his glasses in the trailers. As much as I love his Matt disguise in the SNL skit, these glasses are so much better! First, I'm attracted to him without a hand, now I'm attracted to him in glasses. I am very curious to the next accessory or physical change he'll pull off in another movie or show: a href=" imgs/daily/vulture/2019/05/15/15-the-dead-dont-die-adam-driver.w700. "Link/a

Atour Riten can only be found in the Legends/EU novel _Death Star_, which I only know about through the Wookie. It doesn't give a physical description to him, but he was the chief librarian aboard the Death Star and would die on the ship when Luke blew it up. He was also a Janissariad, which was a military organization during the Balduran Civil War, and that war took place many years before the Battle of Yavin; I get this feeling that maybe they were going to follow up on this, but no one ever did. Anyways, he decided to help the Rebellion after Alderaan's destruction by unwittingly sending them plans of the Death Star and purposefully helping out the _Millennium Falcon _crew rescue Leia; he was supposed to live but the plan went south and he was reluctantly left behind. He was completely at peace with his death because he saved his new friends, and he was never mentioned again! I decided that he got to live because he wasn't aboard the Death Star at the time and it wasn't like the Rebellion needed him because _Rogue One _happened. Given the quirk of his first name, I decided to pick a King Arthur actor and chosen Nigel Terry's from _Excalibur_, which I still have yet to watch,because he looks like the King Arthur I'd imagine while reading _The Once and Future King_: a href=" sites/syfy/files/styles/1200x680/public/wire/legacy/Nigel-Terry-Excalibur_ "Link/a

Hux's red robe is inspired by the Nightsisters' fashion: a href=" wp-content/uploads/2014/09/illo_03_ "Link/a

Next chapter: Hux and Matt go shopping. Cue hokey 80s montage.


	4. Day 3

The Shell Chapter Three

* * *

Main Theme- Something For Your M.I.N.D by Superorganism

* * *

Matt has never been planetside; he has been moved between ships, usually in one of Kylo's storage cubes. When the General told him that they would be going to Bastion, after a breakfast of rice porridge and chicken links, Matt's initial reaction was disbelief; he clearly recalled Kylo's holo-calendar that listed the days of shore leave, and today wasn't one of them.

_He's so selfish. Because of this unplanned shore leave, we'll be off-course, which means Kylo won't find us at the appointed time he's supposed to. I don't know where he went, he couldn't tell me because of Snoke, but he made it very clear that he was supposed to be back today. Now, he won't be!_

Matt scowls down at his datapad. His large nose flares out, while his big lips twist open to reveal his incisors. Just like Kylo's scowls.

_He insists that we'll be spending the day together, but maybe something will happen to pull him away. He might get Mitaka to show me around. Kylo said that he was a clumsy bundle of nerves, but that's not what I experienced. He was condescending, but that was because he believed Kylo would never socialize me. Then, he became intriguing at the blaster range. Kylo was going to teach me how to use a blaster, but now I can surprise him. Maybe, he'll make me a special cake like he does on our life day. _

He focuses on the text displayed on his datapad that Atour picked out for him.

_This one is a brief history of art in the galaxy by Imperial Minister Veris Hydan. I like this one more than the essay comprised by Grand Admiral Thrawn; his writing reminded me of a mystery novel protagonist, and I hate mystery novels just like Kylo. But the noir holos are fun to watch because of the femme and homme fatales; they always dress so pretty, and the amount of blood is appropriate unlike in horror holos. Atour did say that Hydan and Thrawn were quite different in their approach to art. _

Personally, he would rather spend the day reading than shopping, but it's not like the General asked for his opinion. Just like he never asks for Kylo's opinion on Starkiller Base.

_His staff may believe him to be the ideal First Order officer, but in his downtime he's a weirdo. He smiles too much. He eats like a bird. He dresses–_

"Ta-da! What do you think of my disguise?" The General comes out with a poodoo-eating grin, dark hair, and the strangest coat that Matt has ever seen. Most of it is a chaotic swirl of ultramarine and scarlet with white acting as a barrier between the clashing colors. When the General gives him a whimsical twirl to show off his back, Matt sees several rips in the back.

"Did someone try to assassinate you?"

"Not me as General Hux, but as Jareth the Goblin King!" The General raises his nose in the air like a caricature royal.

"A goblin? Like in fairytales?"

"Yes, a fairytale with the best puppetry in the galaxy and my favorite singer of all time! Anyways, the Merson Slavers fell on hard times after the Zygerrians' slave empire collapsed thanks to the New Republic fleetingly crusading to end slavery in the galaxy. They decided to pack up their bags and head to the Unknown Regions where slavery flourished and they could surely find some slave empire that wasn't as draconian as the Hutts. However, they needed merchandise and figured that a carrier of First Order Stormtrooper cadets wouldn't be missed."

"You set up a sting operation and posed as a prospective buyer." Matt quickly deduces.

"Correct! Captain Cardinal posed as my bodyguard. It became touch and go for a while when they figured out there was no such thing as the Goblin Kingdom, and our back-up was running late. Apparently, one of the slavers was a master of vibro-knives and decided that I would make an easy target. Unfortunately, I had cortosis-weave armor underneath my jacket, which took the brunt of her attacks. I couldn't sleep on my back for weeks!" The General smiles like the happy-go-lucky idiot that he is.

"And the cadets?"

"Safe and sound."

"And the slavers were brought to justice?"

"The ones that lived were." The General's eyes transform into a chilling shade of blue. "I can't forgive slavers."

"….I thought Bastion was a First Order world."

"It is and was also the Moff Warlords' and later Admiral Daala's capital world."

"Then, why are you disguised as Jareth the Goblin King?"

"To not draw attention."

_What a pfassking dumb ass! _Matt bites down on his tongue and shakes his shaggy, blonde head.

"General Hux is quite recognizable throughout the First Order territories since I'm quite hologenic with a rod shoved up my arse. But no one would ever suspect that General Hux would wear such outlandish civvies!" The General's quickly disappears as though he's trying to remember what he has forgotten.

"Oh! I'll be right back!" The General rushes back to his room and comes back with a goldenrod-colored jacket. "Bastion is a bit brisk around this time of year, so this should keep you warm."

Matt takes the jacket and puts it on. It fits and the wool lining the coat is surprisingly soft.

"This is not First Order-issued."

"No, it belonged to the Commandant." He immediately hates the softness in Hux's eyes, a seafoam green that warns of time-consuming nostalgia.

"Are we going to Bastion now?"

"Yes, let's go!" The General smiles again, and Matt feels his stomach turn in disgust.

* * *

Jareth the Goblin King would be glittering under direct sunlight, but Armitage Hux freckles. The little brown spots dot across his nose and both cheeks; he should've worn a hat to prevent this, but no hat would match his disguise. Besides, Jareth the Goblin King doesn't do hats.

"Everything that the light touches is your kingdom." Hux sweeps a hand dramatically across the landscape of clothing stores.

"I just need clothes." Matt responds logically.

"Then, pick a shop that catches your wonderful eyes." Matt hates how breathy Hux sounds in this moment. He bottles away his hate and searches for a store. He would like to put a dint in the general's salary, but all the stores that can easily serve that purpose have clothes far too beautiful for someone as awkward as him to pull off.

_Kylo would wear these clothes because they were made for people like him. People with confidence, charm, and cleverness. I have none of those things. _

He points at a store perfectly fitting for those of more humble origins. It displays jumpsuits, sweater-vests, and other cheaply-made clothing. He suspects this store is for the credit-strapped technicians that could never afford a tunic of shimmersilk with their meager salaries.

"After we're done shopping for clothes, we can go swing by the arts district."

"Is it located in the same shopping center?"

"Yeah, this is the largest shopping center on the planet; it's almost like a city onto itself. One could get lost for days…." He drifts off and starts pulling him toward the shop. He goes along willingly enough, but he wishes that he can cut off his own hand.

* * *

Chief Petty Officer Nastia Unamo has never had the displeasure of directly interacting with Kylo Ren. She has seen the aftermath of those poor unfortunate souls that had to interact with him. There's really no way to tell what mood Kylo is in because of his mask, but it never hurt to be professional.

"Lord Ren."

"Where is the General?" His vocoder makes him sound like a droid, but the anger in his voice belies the human underneath the metal mask.

"I-" _He's on Bastion, but I don't know where exactly. _She knows that telling him the truth could easily result in strangulation.

"On Bastion." Petty Officer Thanisson answers without taking his eyes off from his screen.

"Where?"

"In a shopping center."

"Which?"

"The Imperium."

Kylo storms off, and the bridge almost breathes a collective relief. Unamo fixes her gaze on the back of Thanisson's blond head.

"How do you know all of that?"

"I sliced into the shopping center's security cameras a while ago and have been watching them since."

"Why?"

"Because Captain Opan said that I have to keep an eye on Hux and alert him if anything uncouth happens." Captain Tritt Opan is also another individual that Unamo would prefer not to spend too much with. She can't recall ever seeing him speak with someone; he prefers just to stare at everyone like a rock-vulture waiting for its prey to die. Rumor has it that Hux _rescued _him from Intelligence just like he did with Mitaka, but she strongly doubts that any rescue was involved. And, sometimes, she wishes that he remained in Intelligence.

"You do realize that Lord Ren will kill you if you continue to be insolent with him." She focuses on reality where she has to keep her petty officers in line.

"Hey, maybe my death will finally spur the General into kicking his useless arse. Or maybe Opan will finally kill him." Thanisson jests dryly. And she can't reprimand him because everyone on the bridge is hoping for that exact scenario: the death of Kylo Ren.

* * *

Kylo Ren finds Hux and Matt in the gardens. The Imperium has an open-air section for those wanting fresh air with their meals. The Force sings through every blade of perfectly trimmed grass and through the red, purple, and blue hydrangeas. He finds them under a mighty oak with reddish leaves.

Matt wears a body glove like the troopers. The jacket he wears looks positively ancient, and Kylo swears that he can see dust motes jump up with every breath that his clone takes. By his side is Hux in a ridiculous disguise.

Those flame-colored locks are black as coals. His grays have been exchanged for reds and blues. His cold blue eyes shine green like emeralds in the dying sunlight.

_Does he think this disguise would fool anyone? No real smuggler would wear those colors; it's no wonder those slavers nearly killed him. But it makes him look fun like he'd be someone to party with, someone who'd find the best cantina with decently-priced liquor. Someone who wouldn't mind rolling around in the sack for a few credits. _

He sneers at such fantasies. Hux acts far too above others, more like an unfeeling god than an actual person. He doubts Hux has ever found gratification from sex.

_Power is the only thing could please him. Just like with Palpatine. _

Yet, Hux looks at Matt with his lively green eyes. He smiles with his thin lips. He's talking about something with Matt, something about comics and mutants. Matt just stares blankly at him.

"_Matt." _

Matt perks up but keeps his eyes on Hux.

"_Kylo, you came back." _

"_Of course I did, though with no help from the General. You have glasses now."_

"_Yes, I'm nearsighted. Another imperfection in my design." _

"_The scientists are too blame for no one in my family needed glasses." _

"_I also had an episode." _

His Master experimented on Matt to make sure that he was truly a Force-null. The experience scarred Matt and sometimes his clone acts out. He doesn't destroy anything in his episodes; he loses his clothing and stares into the void. Sometimes, he wanders.

"_You were found by a trooper and put in Hux's custody." _

"_Yes."_

"_Have you learned anything about him?"_

Kylo gets a smattering of Hux's colorful quarters and people, like the mousy lieutenant, who he interacted with. Books, paints, blasters, and sweater vests.

"_How strange." _

"_He is a weirdo." _

"_Perhaps, a treacherous one." _

"_Would you like for me to spy on him?"_

"_A brilliant idea, my gift. You shall stay in his care."_

"_I understand. What are you wearing?"_

Kylo hesitates to reveal. Matt has always been a little too interested in him. A part of Kylo squirms because of how inappropriate, borderline incestuous, Matt's feelings are for him. Yet, Matt gives him love, not even his Master can give him that.

He shows Matt what he's wearing. A black and gray plaid coat with a dark ascot and black gloves keep him warm. His thick, black hair is pulled back in a low ponytail, while massive shades hide his eyes. He looks like a wealthy person, a son of an arms dealer, who would shop here.

"_You're like the Evil Queen." _

Kylo smiles since she is his favorite character.

"_He gave you a comlink? Good, you'll contact me when you're certain that the General's asleep and give your report." _

"_Yes. I love you." _

"_I love you too, Matt."_

* * *

**Author's Comments- **Here are the links:

Here is an image of dark-haired Armitage. It's a picture of Domhnall Gleeson from the set of _Peter Rabbit_. I've only ever seen the trailer of the movie, but I actually like him with dark hair. Not as much as his red hair, but far more than the blonde hair he had for the _Goodbye Christopher Robin _movie, which I also haven't seen: a href=" . "Link/a

Hux's jacket is based on David Bowie's Union Jack jacket, but more blue and red: a href=" . ?quality=75&auto=webp&disable=upscale"Link/a

Matt's jacket, which once belonged to Brendol, is based on this jacket: a href=" shop. "Link/a

The Thanisson and Kylo Ren stand-off scene is based on Sparks' and Debbie's scene in _Sealab 2021_, except Thanisson isn't a sociopath like Sparks and quits while he's ahead: a href=" watch?v=whyJCcjf6to"Link/a

This is the outfit that Kylo wears to the mall. I feel like a genderbent Evil Queen would've worn this too: a href=" . "Link/a

Until there is a novel, comic, or animated special proving otherwise, Thrawn is dead because no way he can survive in the vacuum of space, let alone in hyperspace with all the damn windows shattered! But I'm still all for Korkie Kryze being the bastard son of Duchess Satine Kryze and Obi-Wan Kenobi as he was originally intended to be until Lucas said hell no; he looks more like his mom, but he's got Obi-Wan's eyes and ears. Also, if anyone's wondering how much of RoS I'll be incorporating in future stories, it'll only be the title _Allegiant General_. Possibly, Palpatine speaking through the remains of Vader's helmet because there's a lot I can do with that.

Unamo has a first name, or at least that's what I found on the Wookie, but Thanisson does not. If anyone has read my first works for _Star Wars_,I gave Thanisson the first name of "Nat," but I actually have grown fond of him having only one name. So in this and all future works dealing with Thanisson it'll just be the one name unless the New Canon can give a kickass first name.

Still trying to figure out where this story will go.


End file.
